LoS: Space Vessels

This is an article related to the science fiction role play setting Legacy of Sol.

Space Vessels

History

Conception

The concept of space flight is an old one, with a plethora of ideas for making it feasible dating back to the early 20th century. During the early 21st century, interest in space exploration had stagnated, moving to the background in favor of more imminent issues such as climate change, terrorism and economic crises. The interest and amazement in the public eye took a nose dive as well, leading to a significant slowdown in the development of technology that would make space travel easier and more efficient. For the years to follow, manned missions beyond the orbital, International Space Station became exceedingly rare and unmanned flights to distant corners of the Solar System were no longer as numerous as they were expected to be. This stagnation persisted well into the 2020s, as the Third World War broke out and ravaged much of the developed world. By the end of the war, Terra was in shock and turning their eyes up at the sky was the least of most peoples' concerns.

It wasn't until the Union of Democratic Nations rose to prominence that mankind began to considering the opportunities that lay beyond Earth itself. Presented as a beacon of hope, it rallied shattered nations and positive thinkers into a unified cause. Through the stabilization of the political climate on Terra, money and technology was once again made available for missions into outer space. It spurred on a technological boom as many research fields became focused on space travel as their primary application. Persistent issues, both logistical and practical, were tackled and solutions presented in the form of new power sources, better propulsion and the means of sustaining continually larger crews of trained specialists. At the dawn of the Inner Solar System Colonization Rush, space vessels as they are known today, came into existence.

Early days

With the development of deuterium fusion reactors, their general adoption and the manufacturing capabilities for expedited production, space vessels now had a power source that was far more efficient and useful than the rocket engines of the past. Fusion thrusters were developed shortly thereafter to capitalize on the on-board, constant generation of power, that would subsequently be fed to all the on-board systems. Hull enhancements and more efficient use of space drastically increased safety, and longer distance missions became possible for manned vessels. Ships that were capable of autonomously landing and lifting off from Earth became commonplace, making the transportation of supplies to and from the emerging colonies in orbit around the blue planet, as well as the Moon, a relatively trivial matter. Colonization efforts in space and on the surface of the Moon were further enhanced by the emergence of bulky, large vessels designed entirely to transport construction equipment, heavy materials and supplies. These were the early versions of freighters that would one day become one of the most common vessels traveling through the Solar System.

When interest in the colonization of Mars, as well as the exploration of Venus, Mercury and the Asteroid Belt began to soar, companies followed suit where the UDN had been leading the way. A wealth of designs flooded the market, the lucrative result of mining operations on the Moon and the value of research on some of the orbiting space stations, being the driving forces behind the drastic change. With space flight becoming commercially available to a variety of industries, what had once been the field of only the governments, became a business venture for any with the required money to spare. Oftentimes, these designs threw a measure of caution into the wind, but for every ill-fated attempt at flying distant missions to prospective colonization locations, there were dozens of success stories reaching the public consciousness.

Colonization rush

The Inner and Outer Solar System Colonization Rushes mark the time period in which the most significant developments in space vessels were made. On July 13rd 2051, the first space vessel powered by a substantially miniaturized fusion reactor and propelled by fusion thrusters was completed. Successful runs to and from the colonies orbiting Terra in a fraction of the time previous ships had required was considered a massive step forward. In less than two decades, all ships in service at the time had been retro-fitted or outright replaced by streamlined designs of deuterium fusion reactor-powered vessels. This quickly allowed for the UDN to set its sights on prospects beyond the Moon or Terra's immediate orbital region. A number of projects were started that saw the colonization of Mars through the construction of orbital colonies in a first stage, and domed surface colonies in a second. These new vessels were instrumental in getting these monumental tasks done in a timely fashion and despite the initial investment cost of the state-of-the-art vehicles, they quickly began making their money back by being able to make countless supply runs to construction sites in the time it took an older type to make just one.

Spurred on by this tremendous, financial yield, business began to catch up to Union affairs. With technology being driven by corporations within the UDN, it was considered a natural evolution for them to begin supporting fleets of their own. In the span of a few decades, more and more colonization efforts were being funded, constructed and supported by multi-national corporations that made a veritable fortune off of either supplied goods, resources mined locally or simply providing housing for adventurous families looking for work and new lives. The success of both companies and the Union in these efforts continued to fuel development, and vessels continued to become more comfortable, reliable, fast and efficient with every passing year. It didn't take long for liners to become commercially available and certain companies to make a name for themselves by becoming the interplanetary equivalent of airlines that help coordinate both private and public traffic.

It is during this period that a lot of concepts now taken for granted were first implemented and refined. By the time colonization of Jupiter began, the need for a structured way of handling travel in space was required. The first decades of the colonization rushes were known for being akin to the Wild West of man's first leaps into the further reaches of the Solar System. The UDN tended to regulate its traffic closely and stuck to the same, optimal routes for reaching its holdings. Beyond legal regulation, however, the Union had little say in how private companies decided to handle the transportation of their goods and personnel. Cooperation and coordination between individual corporations existed in copious amounts - if only to keep things safe - but the vastness of space removed the need that planes on Terra had discovered: defined routes and travel times. However, the UDN had been considering the implications of these freedoms ever since space vessels became commercially available and had started drafting laws and guidelines that would bring more organization to the chaos.

With the completion of that effort came the introduction of space lanes and heavy control over key functions of navcoms. With the construction of a large number of outposts across the defined lanes, vessels were now required to stick to those predefined routes. The implementation of stricter control tower routines and protocols also increased the logistical and bureaucratic overhead for space travel, but spaceline companies only seemed to thrive off of the need for more investment and sometimes even government subsidy to get it all up and running. By the time Jupiter's Galilean moons were colonized, space exploration and colonization had become a much more orderly and regulated endeavor; for better or worse.

It is also during this time that the Solar System saw the rise of space vessels dedicated to military pursuits. The UDN had had designs in the works for armed ships for quite a few years before even the first fusion reactor-powered ship embarked from its shipyard, it had never been considered a priority and these plans were often pushed to the background. However, in the late 2080s, the first reported cases of armed piracy reached Union attention. With the availability of space vessels increasing rapidly, unsavory elements from many walks of life had begun considering smuggling, piracy, terrorism and other criminal activities as a viable practice in outer space. With weapons precariously jury-rigged to their ships, or genuinely well-researched in some well-funded cases, these elements became the bane of freighters and other supply ships throughout the Solar System, both before and during the advent of space lanes.

In response, the UDN sped up the development of its patrol ships rapidly, with the first frigate entering service in July 2089. Fighter craft of various types, as well as patrol ships soon followed. The prime directive of these vessels was a simple one: protection. While capable of engaging freighters, such incidents were non-existent, though altercations with pirate ships became common. Moreover, with the creation of space lanes, they had clearly defined patrol routes to follow. Naturally, ships that decided to stray from these paths were warned that they could fall prey to raids or could be seen as smuggling vessels if caught by authorities. These military vessels were a far-cry from what they would become over a century later, but they proved highly effective as a deterrent for criminal activity.

By the end of the Outer Solar System Colonization Rush, space vessels had come into their own. Despite long travel times, ships were able to go immense distances on their own merits alone and had become significantly more efficient and well-designed than they had been in the years prior. On a military level, many punitive campaigns against pirates, terrorist cells and dissidents had resulted in the growing desire in the UDN to keep the Solar System safe through the deployment of armed space vessels. Moreover, many companies began to employ security ships of their own. While strictly regulated by the Union, this still contributed significantly to the growing militarization and the subsequent sense of aggression and oppression that Terra had begun to project upon its colonies.

First Independence War

By the time the First Independence War broke out, rising tensions had resulted in the continuing trend of militarization moving at an increasingly fast pace. Among more recent developments were the implementation of an interplanetary marine corps to support space vessels in operation, as well as troop and vehicle transports that made ground-based encounters more feasible and important a consideration for military commanders. Armaments themselves had undergone significant changes, as well, with the arrival of thermal weaponry mounted on ships and new types of armored plating to safeguard ships from the heavier impacts that even pirate ships were capable of. Where technology leaped ahead, though, tactical and strategic implementation was lagging. The lack of large-scale engagements had left military doctrine in the dust and the Solar System was ill-prepared to handle all-out war on an interplanetary scale. Many historians attribute the significant loss of life on both sides to the lack of experience and tested practices.

In the early days of the war, even the smallest skirmishes between UDN and Shield of Jove ships tended to devolve into complete chaos. Vessels tended to bull-rush one another as if they were still chasing pirates trying to escape with their haul of the day. Collisions were common, but more often than not, ships would simply reach close proximity to one another and enter slug matches while fighters attempted to keep frigates and corvettes on their respective sides safe from bombers and other, explosive weaponry. The end result would be the crippling of an unacceptable number of ships and Pyrrhic victories at best. However, the dissident fleets' experience with dealing with terrorists and more potent criminal syndicates did give them an edge early on. As the years of the war slipped by, doctrine naturally adapted. Lessons were learned from mistakes, and new tactics were applied. Moreover, the end of the war also saw the introduction of a new type of space vessel: the destroyer. It was with the advent of these ships that space fleets truly became a frightening sight to behold, as firepower and armor was finally catching up to the needs of protracted and large-scale engagements.

One of the most notable developments during the First Independence War was the first instance of operations that required large armies to make planetfall from orbit. While most of these engagements had troops descending onto Jupiter's moons, there were many cases where improvisation was required to safely, yet aggressively land troop transports on space colonies. The complexity and difficulty involved in effectively engaging entrenched enemies on a hostile world or colony did not decrease by the end of the war. Even to this day discussions are abound whether it is better to hamstring a location through orbital blockades, or to risk expensive ground wars that could end the fight much quicker, but also risk being catastrophic. While a consensus is unlikely to form anytime soon, troop transports continue to adapt and evolve to suit the needs of the army, mechanized armor talons and marines.

Second Independence War

With the founding of the CIC, the landscape of interplanetary transportation changed tremendously. Where first there was a single, unified pocket of colonies all centered around Terra, there was now a second hub that sought to distance itself as much as possible from Union influence. For the first time since the UDN became the face of humanity across the Solar System, division saw the rise of interplanetary nations and their respective borders. Jupiter and its moons and colonies were considered to be part of the CIC's sovereignty and, as such, laws for travel across space lanes that lead through these borders needed definition and application. This greatly affected the way space flights were planned, organized and approved behind the scenes. While the common traveler saw little difference beyond altered passport checks in the security sections of certain ports, travel companies and cargo haulers expanded the logistics to accommodate the changes. This also created more division in the corporations themselves, as many saw a lucrative future in the young CIC and began proclaiming an affinity or loyalty to one or the other; often as a public secret. Designs, models and best practices began to diverge wildly in the years to follow, which accounts for what is perceived as - at the very least - a stylistic contrast between the UDN and CIC, and later also the Triton Empire.

By the time the Second Independence War broke out, space warfare had had time and opportunity to mature. Under the guidance of important military minds such as Corvinus Lars and Deccard Raleigh, modern military doctrine was revolutionized and subsequently standardized to catch up to the vastly changed battlefield and technology. With emphasis placed on defined roles, strict adherence to rules of engagement, supply line maintenance and maneuverability, the space battles of the Second Independence War were generally no longer the chaotic ventures they had been in the previous conflict. While still bloody and brutal, they became more akin to elaborate games of chess on a board the size of the Solar System and potent military officers once again took center stage as vital components of a successful war machine. Despite this evolution, though, there were still many instances where battles turned into protracted engagements that saw opponents destroyed to the last man and woman.

With the importance of space vessels continuing to grow, it was not surprising when even destroyers proved insufficient to handle the harder targets during the war. Especially space stations and large flotillas of destroyers proved difficult to overcome and the Triton Empire was quick to expedite plans it had had since before the war even began. When the first cruisers hit the scene, interplanetary warfare was once again completely changed. While they came too late to have a significant impact on the conflict itself, they still displayed with frightening accuracy how ferocious the Triton Empire could be, but also how imposing a single capital ship of such size and power was to behold. Ever since, cruisers have held an intimidating position in fleets and their arrival spurred on the development of larger weapons capable of daunting feats of destruction. The continued loss of innocent life by stray shots and combat near space colonies during the war did see renewed efforts from all factions to try and protect colonies and civilian ships to a significantly greater degree.

Present day

Today, space vessels are omnipresent and a daily part of life for the grand majority of people across the Solar System. To some, they, their function and their abundance are even little more than mundane numbers on a screen that need regulation from a space traffic control tower. Over the years since their conception, they have undergone tremendous changes both in design and function, and in the way a deceptively simple trek from Terra to the surface of the Moon is executed. Gone are the days of pioneers on rickety ships. Instead, state-of-the-art designs fly across defined routes with full access to the InterPlaNet through an expansive Comm Buoy Grid that ferries messages and information along the space lanes. Intricate navcoms guide ship navigation, while advanced thrusters allow them to reach speeds previously thought to be a distant dream. Freighters haul priceless tons of cargo to all corners of the Solar System and fly the colors of any number of corporations, both private and public, or simply one of the interplanetary states.

Protection in all of its forms has continued to expand as well, as military technology does not sit still. The increasing influence of private military companies have made a market for military armaments and vessels not employed by singular governments. Piracy and other criminal activities persist and they are warded off by patrolling fleets of powerful ships that operate smoothly and effortlessly. Officers are confident in the examples set by their predecessors and the next war to break out - if any - would undoubtedly be a test of accepted, contemporary doctrine. Space stations and fortresses are becoming veritable bastions capable of entrenching a defending force, and the more wide-spread deployment of cruisers have added immense firepower to the lineup.

Space vessels are ubiquitous, invaluable and simultaneously marvelous and everyday. No one in the Solar System can remember what society was like without the option to go to the nearest port and book a space flight to a distant location, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Design

Space vessels have gone through innumerable iterations in their design. Having become one of the most important cogs in the machine that keeps interplanetary society running smoothly, these ships have fulfilled a wide variety of roles. These roles, in turn, determine everything about the vessel, from the size of its hull, to the amount of space dedicated to cargo or crew. While spaceworthy craft have been around since the late 1900s, they have undergone massive alterations to account for the changes in climate and demand. While many of the same principles of old continue to apply, enormous leaps in technology and exploration have yielded a wealth of new and more suitable materials, electronics, sensors, fuel and propulsion capabilities that vastly overshadow those of its predecessors.

Space vessels are not the sole playground of governments alone. Ever since the Inner Solar System Colonization Rush, many corporations have begun deploying private spacecraft for a variety of purposes. Similarly, these ships are no longer used just to transport a small number of specialists up to a space station, or some containers of important supplies. Instead, some are designed specifically for military purposes so they can serve as patrol ships or even battleships during armed conflicts across the vast Solar System. Owning and piloting space vessels has also become an option for civilians. While still a very expensive undertaking, there are plenty of individuals able to start their own business by buying second-hand or even third-hand ships, or getting one on significant down-payments. Others are simply wealthy enough to be able to afford cruise liners or luxury liners of varying sizes to use for private trips through space. Whatever the purpose, this has resulted in space vessel appearances, purposes and variations becoming immensely heterogeneous and a person can travel through space for their entire lives and still spot classes of vessels, with or without modifications, that they had never seen before.

Hull

The hull of space vessels is the term generally used when referring to the outer shell protecting the innards of the ship. Hull designs and shapes depend on the type, class and purpose of the ship in question. Some vessels, primarily those that need to be able to more easily land on the surface of celestial bodies or fly through atmospheres tend to have aerodynamic hulls, while larger ships that rarely, if ever, need to make such trips are bulkier and more concerned with optimal use of space, materials and protection. Whatever the case, the hull is usually crafted from very sturdy materials that are highly heat-resistant, in a layered fashion.

The top layer consists of plating that serves both an aesthetic, insulative and protective role, though priorities in these roles shift depending on the design. This plating also contains materials that offer protection from solar radiation and other harmful effects of space travel. The innermost layer tends to consist of sturdy trusses that promote the conservation of a certain shape and flow of the ship's hull, even under the effects of pressure and impacts. In between both layers, some ships have additional protection or armor, though this is almost entirely limited to military vessels that have need of these additions.

Power generation and supply

Modern space vessels are almost universally powered by deuterium fusion reactors. Housed in the ship's power plant, the reactor generates the energy the vessel needs to function appropriately. All of its systems depend on the feed guided through a massive network of cables that span the whole ship, not the least of which include environmental control and life support, propulsion, navigation, illumination and defense in the form of weapon and targeting systems. Usually, this power plant is located near the back of a vessel, surrounded by significant bulk and armored plating, to reduce the amount of power lost in transit to the fusion thrusters and also keeping it close or exactly adjacent to the relevant section of engineering for maintenance purposes. The fusion reactors that space vessels are outfitted with are of a much larger scale than its counterparts installed on MAs or certain ground-based vehicles. Some vessels even require generators that are far larger than those found on space colonies or have multiple plants working in tandem. Usually, once a ship's generator is turned on, it is very rarely deactivated entirely during normal operation, and continues to provide a comfortable baseline that powers ship critical, primary and secondary functions.

Unlike MAs and other vehicles, heat management is not a significant hurdle for space vessels. Due to their size and the fact that nowhere near as much sensitive gear and expensive electronics need to be squeezed into a comparatively small amount of space, heat dispersion becomes much easier. While vessels have radiators of their own, these only ever increase their output when the ship itself has taken significant damage, it has been in heated battle for an extended period of time, or the generator has somehow become unstable. A significant amount of failsafes are in place to prevent injury to the crew or damage to the ship's sensitive electronics, including a complete system shutdown, similar to the one implemented on MAs, and a subsequent switch to auxiliary power for all critical and primary systems. During this restart however, unless the crew forcibly activates other systems, the ship will be dead in the water. Once temperatures level out safely, the ship will be reactivated proper.

Despite the reliability of modern fusion reactors, many accidents still occur involving meltdowns or instabilities. Many of these are the result of insufficient maintenance or misuse of the equipment involved, with some having catastrophic consequences. Examples of ships being ripped apart in explosions caused by meltdowns are plentiful, though still comparatively rare when compared to the amount of ships that operate properly throughout the entire Solar System on a daily basis. During battle, however, most fatalities are instead caused by the shutdown of the engine cutting power to life support, or catastrophic damage to the hull compromising the ship's internal atmosphere. Explosions still occur, but are more likely to be the result of the impact of kinetic or thermal weaponry than an unstable reactor.

All vessels using a fusion reactor as their power source require refined hydrogen to run. Being one of the most common elements in the Solar System, hydrogen is mined in massive quantities from gas giants such as Jupiter or other rich bodies. Because of the crucial nature involved, as the fuel does not only supply power to propulsion systems, but also life support, most ships above a certain size are also equipped with emergency processors that can refine the much less voluminous unrefined hydrogen in what they need to survive. Those same vessels also come with means to mine or scoop for hydrogen from gas giants and other sources. However, extended use of improperly processed fuel can cause serious damage to a vessel's propulsion systems, as well as the reactor itself.

Electronics and sensors

Connecting every piece of hardware on-board a space vessel is a wealth of wiring and electronics. Operating the vast number of vital and intricate systems of a ship requires both the hard- and software to do so, and most of these are usually maintained from several operation centers across a ship. Usually, these are the bridge for command, navigation, life support and weapon systems, engineering for propulsion, power supply and life support, and security for internal surveillance systems. Naturally, these electronics are fairly sensitive and also draw significant amounts of power from a ship's reactor both during regular and combat operation. Software runs constantly to facilitate the tasks of the crew, as well as ensure the ship itself runs smoothly. Chief among these are life support and power generation, which generally run more or less automatically, with mere monitoring from crewmembers.

To properly pilot a space vessel, a massive amount of information and sensory input is required for both the programs running in the background, and the actual crewmembers making the snap decisions. Every ship is equipped with a sensor suite that handles these tasks, though the specifics of that suite vary from ship to ship, depending on a variety of factors such as its purpose, size and how much money the owner is willing to pour into the vessel. All vessels come with an advanced form of radar that is able to detect objects of interest to the ship's operation. Depending on the filtering mode applied to the radar's output, the ship will be able to visualize other vessels, asteroids and other bodies of potential note. Visual confirmation through cameras and other devices is also an option. For safety reasons, most ships larger than fighters do not have viewports or any transparent surfaces, making the crew rely on these visual inputs. Other methods of detection also scan for heat signatures, radiation emissions, emissions that correspond to various types of fusion thrusters, and more. Survey and colony ships often have an even more expansive and specialized suite available for them, so they can perform their assigned duties appropriately.

Hiding from detection has always been an important priority for both military vessels, and criminal elements within the Solar System. While active camouflage remains a fictional technology, more traditional forms of stealth do exist. Rarely applied to larger ships because it becomes too costly or simply unfeasible, the primary methods of attempting to hide from enemy detection include masking a ship's heat emissions using buffers or coating the ship's hull with a material that will scramble and confuse radar signals.

Propulsion

Almost all modern space vessels are propelled by fusion thrusters. Similar in principle to those found installed on mechanized armors or aircraft, these thrusters use the plasma produced by the on-board fusion reactors to power an internal process that produces thrust. The result of this process is a telling, light blue to light purple stream that is pushed out through engines located at the back, or in the middle, of a specific craft. Using this thrust, ships are able to propel themselves into forward motion, while lighter vessels are sometimes able to control the angle of their engines to change directions more swiftly and easily than their heavier counterparts. Naturally, the more thrust is required, the more power will need to be poured into the engines, who in turn will achieve a greater yield and increase the speed of travel. The size and output of engines is a delicate matter for any new ship design. Engines that are too large will consume too much energy, while not necessarily offering enough additional speed to offset their own weight. Engines that are too small will quickly experience overheating issues when being pushed to supply a desired speed to its vessel.

All vessels capable of traveling along the space lanes between celestial bodies have two types of thrusters installed. Low output thrusters are used for high-precision movement at conceivable speed. They are most commonly used when entering or leaving the controlled space of a celestial body, colony or space station, or entering an altercation with other vessels. This is because the ship's high output engines allow the ship to reach such speed that no real amount of maneuvering is possible. Human reflexes, as well as on-board hardware and software are simply incapable of keeping up with this velocity in transit. During battle, ships generally retain these speeds as well, as firing at a vessel moving faster than a given speed is simply impossible. Fighters generally only have low output engines, and need to board larger vessels to be able to travel between notable locations in the Solar System. The second type are the aforementioned high output thrusters, which are generally both larger and far more powerful, allowing a vessel to reach speeds sufficient to bridge the growing distances between two given locations in the Solar System.

The maximum speed that a given ship can reach is a difficult matter to define. There are still plenty of vessels in service that can operate both in outer space, and within the atmosphere of a celestial body such as Terra. Environmental factors, as well as the condition of the ship will have an impact on all of this, especially given the poor aerodynamics applied to larger ships that can, but rarely see action within atmospheres. Because of the magnitude of the numbers involved in the velocity of space vessels, the speed supplied by high output thrusters is not expressed in the more common km/h or m/h. Instead, gigameters per hour (Gm/h) is used. Ships that are intended to travel along space lanes autonomously can attain average speeds of 7 Gm/h (7 million km/h), though some military vessels can reach a velocity of 10 Gm/h if pushed to its limits, or constructed for rapid deployment. Low output thruster speeds are usually still expressed in kilometers per hour or Mach numbers.

Just like a fusion reactor, thrusters will build up heat as they run. Advanced cooling systems generally keep the engines from coming under too much strain from the heat. Prolonged travel at immense speeds may cause issues, however, and considering the fact that the best way to cripple a ship is to take out its method of propulsion, the engines and their cooling systems are popular targets during battle. Moreover, thrusters need constant maintenance to check for wear and tear in the form of residual material, space debris impacts, scarring, warping and fatigue. Usually, the engines have been designed to be durable and last for long periods of time. However, it is never wise to leave a dock without having them subjected to a cursory check, at the very least.

The method of controlling a space vessel differs from type to type, with the biggest differences evident between small fighter craft and large cruisers. Specifics are discussed below, but the larger the ship, the more the different roles of its operation need to be divided among an increasingly large crew compliment. While bridge personnel stagnates above a certain size, an increasing number of weapon systems requires more engineers and more staff to operate and maintain them. Most ships are controlled from the bridge, the heavily secured brain of a vessel. From there, piloting the vessel can be as contained as using a single control panel, to having an officer command a group of trained specialists. Given the scale and complexity involved, however, even piloting a freighter requires training, experience and patience.

Navigation

Considering the distances and mechanics involved in interplanetary travel, navigation on-board space vessels is even more crucial than it would be on the surface of Terra. Precious few things are static from a ship's relative point of view, and even its destination is very often in constant motion. With celestial bodies rotating around the sun, planets or simply moving through the Solar System under the influence of certain forces, going from point A to B is rarely the same as it was the day before. While the paths between planets and colonies do not usually change at a comparatively rapid pace, it is still vital to keep this information up-to-date so vessels know where objects of note are at all times. This is naturally not a trivial matter. All ships have a wealth of maps and information uploaded into their navigational systems, which can then be reviewed for a variety of purposes. This information contains positions of celestial bodies, space colonies, space stations, asteroids, comets, debris, husks and derelict ships, other commercial or private vessels in transit, and the most current state of the space lanes available. Usually, additional data is drawn into the system, such as the current trajectories of celestial bodies, current hotspots of criminal activity, and more. Using all of this, a pilot is able to plot suitable courses.

While it is possible for pilots to plot courses personally, this is generally very time-consuming, error-prone and not at all optimal for any trips beyond short-distance ones. Instead, most vessels will rely on their navigational computer to do the necessary work for them, given a specific input and navigational information. These computers, usually referred to as NavComs, run complex algorithms to predict the movement of a given destination, and anything in-between, to result in the shortest-distance path to follow, as well as which changes in speed along the way will result in an optimal journey with minimal interruptions. There is, of course, a margin of error on these calculations, which increases exponentially with the distance traveled. As a result, trips that take longer than a day require the NavCom to do routine recalculations, sometimes with fresh information downloaded from outposts along space lanes, or after the ship has docked for refueling or maintenance along the way. The pilot, or navigator if an entire bridge crew is involved, will also keep an eye on the specifics of the plotted course to make sure the assumptions made during calculation do not result in dangerous situations.

Accidents that occur due to out-of-date navigational data or errors in the NavCom have become exceedingly rare, as few people are foolish enough to leave dock without making sure their NavCom has everything it needs to function appropriately. Especially the positions of space stations cannot always be reliably predicted because their positions may not be tied to a set path or planet. It is possible that circumstances force ships to take off without such information on-hand. All across the Solar System are outposts that continually record information that is then compiled into data for use by NavComs and broadcast across the navigational network (NavNet). These are not as reliable as the packets compiled on space stations, colonies and planets, but still provide a better alternative to "sailing blind".

Military vessels are usually able to rely upon their own information grid. Just like most sensitive information, they bypass the regular NavNet and instead exchange critical data through their own means; using their own Com Buoy Arrays, which are often attached to military space stations, outposts and listening posts. While this information is not necessarily more accurate than its public counterpart, it doesn't rely on the whims of corporations or government regulation as much. It also contains information on military deployments that must not get into the hands of the public for various reasons, not the least of which is security.

Heat generation and cooling

While space vessels generally do not have the same overheating issues as MAs and certain ground-based vehicles do, their fusion reactor and, perhaps most notably, their thrusters do generate substantial amounts of heat that isn't easily dispersed. Usually, most of these critical devices have cooling systems that are responsible for removing any warmth that could not be funneled out more naturally. There are still a multitude of circumstances where heat can pose a risk for regular ship operation and the health of the crew. Damage to the cooling systems, without the opportunity to reduce the intensity of the ship's activity, for example, may cause heat to build-up to dangerous levels. Certain weapons used during combat between space vessels, most notably thermal weaponry, can cause serious spikes in targeted areas and can prove more devastating than actually breaching the hull. Most commonly, though, overheating will primarily affect the ship's mobility, as the crew will be forced to reduce the speed the thrusters generate to stop heat from building up exponentially and potentially causing critical damage the engines. If such damage were to occur, the ship would be dead in the water and could drift off course for distances that could put it out of reach of rescue. The same can happen to the fusion reactor, where the integrity and stability of the generator could become compromised if the vessel is pushed beyond what its heat dissipation solution can handle. This may have devastating consequences.

Offensive capabilities

Main article: Space Vessel Weaponry

As mankind expanded outward into the Solar System, the need for spaceworthy weapons increased. Security became an issue, especially when spacecraft became affordable enough for any consumer with a sizable budget to spend and there was no shortage of unsavory elements among these. Raids on freighters and supply vessels became a serious problem during the Inner Solar System Colonization Rush, to the point where crude armaments were being jury-rigged onto existing ships with poor results. Plans for arming space vessels had been in the works for decades leading up to that point, but had never been considered a priority. With the rising need for protection, military vessels began pouring from design projects, and subsequently the assembly line. Nowadays, a great many ships have the potential of bearing arms, and most military vessels come armed to the teeth to be able to mount a powerful offensive, and impenetrable defensive. The size, type and weight of weapons varies depending on the purpose of the vessel, as well as its own size and manufacturer. Some favor lightweight arms to allow far faster firing or better maneuvering, while others prefer to rely on their armor to absorb what their piloting can no longer dodge.

Space vessel armaments are usually controlled either from the cockpit for smaller vessels, or the bridge (in conjunction with one or more gunnery stations) for larger ships. Radar or visual input allows for gunners to aim, and complex software usually handles any necessary automatic targeting for larger on-board weapon systems. Many of the various types can be installed on turrets, giving them greater versatility and accuracy, but this is not possible for all of them. Most of these weapons are also mounted in a forward-facing manner, expecting most threads to engage from there (at least for larger vessels). However, there are ship types that have the bulk of their firepower locked along its flanks, allowing them to perform broadside barrages that have proven to be both suicidal, and devastatingly effective in battle.

Below is a small comprehensive list, sorted by category, of the various weapon types commonly installed on space vessels.

Kinetic

Main article: Kinetic weapons

Kinetic weapons are the various types of weapon systems that use the kinetic energy of solid matter (usually in the form of a projectile) to inflict damage upon impact. Weapons in this category are usually powered by explosive force, but exceptions do exist. While still very much the effective norm for atmosphere-based infantry and vehicles, the potency of kinetic weaponry for space vessels should not be underestimated. While firing kinetic weapons generally requires oxygen as fuel - which poses a number of technical problems - the tremendously decreased friction and counteracting forces working on a fired projectile in a vacuum, allow kinetic projectiles to travel further, at a higher speed, than they normally would, making them all the more effective.

• Space Gun: The mainstay of most modern, military space vessel weapons, the space gun is essentially artillery that fires very large shells with intimidating accuracy and power. Space guns are particularly lethal against small- to medium-sized ships as they rarely have the armor necessary to resist more than a few direct hits on critical points. Space guns come in varying sizes and are most often installed as rotary turrets.
• Cannon: The cannon is the space gun's larger cousin. Also technically artillery, the cannon fires heavy, explosive shells over vast distances, even for the scale generally used in space battles. Slow to reload and ponderous, the cannon is a long-range weapon that has also been used to stifling success in orbital bombardment, though the specific weapon would have to have been designed for that purpose.
• Gatling Gun: These multi-barreled, rotating, heavy machine guns serve a number of purposes on space vessels. Firing rounds too light to harm larger vessels, they are the bane of fighters and are also often employed as point-defense systems against enemy missiles. Gatling guns are favored by fighters, but are also often installed on escort vessels such as corvettes and frigates.
• Torpedo Launcher: Self-propelled and possessing a heavy, explosive warhead, torpedoes are the primary weapon used against larger, ponderous vessels. While some types exist that are guided, most torpedoes do not alter their initial trajectory and sacrifice precision for speed and power. Torpedoes are particularly popular on destroyers.
• Missile Launcher: Missile launchers fire rocket-propelled grenades which are generally weaker than torpedoes, but are fitted with guidance systems that allow the explosives to home in on their intended target. Most types of missiles are fired in volleys, as space vessels usually have countermeasures in place to take down the projectiles before they hit. Missile launchers can be found on any type of vessel, though they are most common on fighters and escort vessels, and quite rare on anything the size of a large destroyer or cruiser. Missiles come in many shapes and sized, with some taking on properties more akin to torpedoes and serve as cruise or ballistic missiles. Especially orbital bombardment is often executed using ballistic missiles built to withstand atmospheric re-entry and surface-based countermeasures.
• Scram Cannon: The scram cannon is a powerful, large ship-mounted weapon that uses supersonic combustion ramjet technology to propel its loaded projectile at a destructive velocity that far exceeds that of conventional space guns and cannons. Scram cannons can be devastating on impact, but the recoil is quite considerable and the weapon prone to heat expansion.
• Railgun: Almost exclusively mounted on cruisers, the railgun uses a sequence of alternating magnetic fields along two or more metallic bars (or rails) to propel a solid, armor-piercing projectile with a muzzle speed far greater than that attainable using conventional weapon systems. Cumbersome and slow to fire, their primary use is taking down enemy cruisers or engaging military space stations.
• Space Mine: Space mines are a significant threat to vessels of several types, primarily because of how simple it is to produce and deploy them en-mass. Spherical explosives, space mines come in various types, most of which are proximity traps that detonate when a target approaches them. Some mines, however, are capable of locking onto nearby targets and becoming self-propelled in an effort to attach to the hull and explode to cause significant damage to a ship's hull. The fear of space mines is such that most fleets deploy mine sweeper vessels at the front, usually in the form of frigates that can carpet bomb large areas of space.

Thermal

Main article: Thermal weapons

Thermal weapons differ from kinetic ones in that they primarily use the generation of heat as a means to inflict damage. Most of the weapons in this category utilize concentrated, high-power lasers or plasma (superheated, ionized air or gas) to melt whatever their projectiles come into contact with. They usually demand a great deal of power from a vessel's reactors, are expensive and more sensitive to external factors than kinetic weapons. However, the fact that they generate internal heat along with any damage imparted upon hitting a target, gives them a clear purpose in any space battle.

• Laser Gun: The laser gun, while not having replaced more conventional arms such as the space gun, cannon and missile launcher, is nonetheless considered a valuable tool in space combat. With smaller calibers fitted to fighters intended as interceptors, and large ones to escort vessels that hunt enemy craft of similar sizes, laser guns are capable of searing through armor and detonating sensitive equipment beyond the hull of a target. Some laser guns are deployed as point-defense systems by using fast, intensely focused beams to take down incoming missiles. This defensive system is generally useless against torpedoes, however.
• Laser Cannon: The laser cannon is the gun's bigger alternative. Essentially a massive turret, destroyers and cruisers often sail outfitted with one or more of these. Much like the ground-based counterpart, laser cannons devour energy from its wielder, but the result is a continuous stream of devastating energy. Laser cannons are most easily recognized by the pulsating nature of their beam.
• Plasma Cannon: The plasma canon uses a specific, ionized gas to produce a projectile of superheated plasma, which is then expelled violently out of the muzzle of the cannon. The plasma is forced to keep a rough elliptical shape through the use of a residual, magnetospheric field, which dissipates upon impact and releases the energy. Plasma cannons are slow-firing, are known to have overheating issues and are very expensive, but are capable of incinerating smaller vessels and piercing even heavily armored hulls with little effort. Only cruisers have the bulk required to offer a plasma cannon the power output it requires to be as effective as the energy hog should be.

Chemical

Main article: Chemical weapons

Chemical weapons are characterized by their ability to damage their targets on a molecular level by forcing corrosive chemical reactions upon impact. A very small category, chemical weapons are a relatively new field of research but some of the developments that have come from it have garnered them some attention from the established military. Chemical weapons tend to form the middle road between kinetic and thermal in terms of usability and versatility. They are not quite as lethal as some thermal weapons, nor are they are reliable as kinetic ones. However, they are able to attain good rates of fire at a dependable level, as well as potentially inflict greater damage upon targets than solid slugs.

Currently, there are no chemical weapons being used on commercial or military vessels, as the principle has been found to not scale as easily as originally expected. Several projects are underway to reliably confirm whether or not chemical weapons are useful in the context of space warfare, but they are unlikely to yield a positive result.

Defensive capabilities

The defensive capabilities of space vessels depend heavily on the type involved, and the purpose they serve. Interceptor fighter craft tend to be light and fast, and hence possess much less armor than the heavier bomber type. The same applies to larger warships such as frigates, destroyers and cruisers. The more armor, the bulkier, costlier and less maneuverable a vessel becomes. In many cases, being able to avoid being hit altogether is going to be preferable to having layers of composite armor thick enough to resist the impact stress of massive, powerful, ship-mounted weaponry. Escort vessels, patrol ships in particular, are always going to favor speed over durability, but not only for their own protection. In space battles, these ships are going to be in constant motion. They will be moved from one problem area to another, in the hopes of defending their larger counterparts against deadly attacks by enemy fighters and destroyers. Cruisers, on the other hand, the largest warships currently in service, follow a different methodology. Essentially spaceworthy fortresses, cruisers have such size and heavy weapons, that they have already sacrificed their mobility for firepower. Being as large as they are, they tend to benefit much more from increased protection against weapons designed to specifically counter them, than what little additional speed can be gained from leaving them with the bare minimum.

Armored plating - both externally and internally - is not the only method of defense available to space vessels. Missile and torpedo launchers are prevalent weapon systems that have always proven particularly effective at taking down small and large craft, respectively. These vessels cannot always count on the presence of ships designed to counter the bearers of those armaments and will need means of defending themselves. Against missiles, this often takes the form of point-defense systems, so called because of the fact that they protect a single point; that being the ship they are installed on. These weapon systems are rarely manually operated, and run complex software that uses sensory input of various kinds to determine where missiles are coming from, as well as at what speed and trajectory they are approaching. These systems will then calculate where to aim and open fire. These systems usually take the form of turret-mounted gatling guns and laser guns. Torpedoes often possess armored plating along the nose that is ejected prior to impact. This plating generally protects it from the smaller caliber gatling rounds that would attempt to have it detonate early, while most laser point-defenses cannot focus their beam long enough to burn through. Missile launchers are instead used to try and take down torpedoes before they hit their intended targets. These countermeasures are not without their flaws, and can be fooled in a number of ways, such as by masking the heat signatures of rocket exhaust, or confusing radar feedback to the system.

Shields

Main article: Energy Shield

Some space vessels, primarily the larger types, almost always have adaptive magnetospheric shields projected around them as a thin, protective sheath. Fundamentally the same technology as the shields protecting domed surface colonies, these shields manifest in a very thin, layer of honeycombed tiles that discolor a light purple when they absorb an impact, and otherwise remain barely visible. The shields are intended to adapt their density to an incoming projectile and protect the vessel accordingly. However, they require a great deal of power from the internal generator while active. The sheath is also maintained by a large number of emitters spread out across the hull of the ship. The nature of the technology requires these emitters to be fairly exposed and vulnerable. This makes them regular targets for enemy fighter craft, that attempt to use torpedoes designed to pierce energy shields to take out one or more of these emitters. While there is redundancy on the shields, every emitter that is removed, significantly weakens the shield's potency on a certain section of the ship. A common tactic is to cause the shield to fail near vital points, before letting larger vessels coordinate their fire there and take out anything from weapon systems, to the enemy's fusion reactor. Adaptive magnetospheric shields are especially effective against thermal weapons employed by the enemy, though cruisers are able to handle shields with sufficient density to mitigate impacts from even kinetic weapons such as scram cannons and railguns.

Crew and life support

Most space vessels are operated by a crew of any number of people from a single pilot, to a full complement of over four-hundred people, depending on the type and class of vessel. Most ships are designed for interplanetary transport, and are thus constructed to contain all the accommodations its crew will need to be able to live comfortable. These accommodations vary wildly in quality, as not every ship has been designed with true comfort in mind. Many of the average freighters traveling along the space lanes tend to be the modern day equivalent of old, cramped, creaky and leaky wooden ships that once sailed Terra's waters. Other vessels, such as luxury liners, are essentially five-star resorts that transport its guests across the Solar System, without them missing out on the comforts of home. Most ships, however, try to make sustainable compromises where these matters are concerned, especially when regarding commercial vessels. Military vessels are more optimized and, considering a disciplined crew, take a few more liberties with comfort. Crew facilities always include quarters for rest, showers for personal hygiene and some form of kitchen or dining facility for food and drink. Most ships also have common rooms and other sections intended solely for entertainment.

Life on a space vessels is a harsh one for anyone who is not merely a passenger in transit. Crews of freighters that constantly make long-distance hauls to the far corners of the colonized Solar System in particular, are forced to surrender many of the comforts of home and are instead required to live in metal husks with only one another for company, and precious little in the way of alleviating boredom. The same does not apply to passenger liners, although quality varies with the price of the ticket. Military ships often have the benefit of being backed by sizable budgets, as governments have long since realized the importance to territorial security of standing fleets. This increased allowance naturally creates more room for relaxation, but tours of duty can be long and arduous. Psychologists have also never understated the impact that distance from nature has on the human psyche. A whole slew of traumas have arisen as a result of prolonged exposure to simulated gravity, atmosphere and the general, sometimes stressful nature of being locked in a metal box for months on end. Colonies, especially early ones, were faced with similar challenges. But, unlike space vessels, they often have the room to plant greens and let loose animals; all in an effort to make the environment seem more alive.

A good captain, or a good owner of a ship, do everything they can to make the crew as comfortable as possible, but in certain business sectors and regions of space, such superiors are hard to come by.

Critical to the survival of any crew in outer space, is a ship's environmental control and life support system (ECLSS), or more commonly referred to as just life support system. While the scope and overall implementation of these systems runs the whole gamut, and differs from ship type to type - as always - the fundamentals remain largely the same. The life support system is the name given to the various modules, both hard- and software, that work together to fulfill the requirements of a crew's survival. Among these responsibilities are the preservation of atmospheric pressure, oxygen supply, food and water supply, waste disposal, hygiene, temperature control, gravity simulation, air scrubbing, and more. Each of these separate units are divided among several categories, from most critical, to those that can be done without for limited amounts of time. These categories help the crew make decisions when certain systems need to be turned off to preserve power from a failing fusion reactor, for example. Life support is generally controlled from the bridge and, on larger vessels, is often the responsibility of a single operator, who needs to invest his full time and attention to it in emergencies.

Below is a brief description of some of the primary components:

• Gravity simulation: Essential on any ship whose crew remains in space for prolonged periods of time, most vessels exert a perceived, downwards force upon its occupants that simulates the gravity on Terra, experienced at sea level. This prevents health risks such as muscle atrophy, and also allows the crew to move and operate as they would on any colony in the Solar System.
• Atmospheric pressure control: Lower, or higher, pressure can be to the detriment of a human being. As such, compartments of a ship have retain a simulated pressure equal to that found on Terra, at sea level. This is accomplished by introducing a number of constituents other than oxygen into the compartments, as a nearly pure oxygen atmosphere presents a significant fire hazard.
• Oxygen supply: A human being must breathe to survive. Vessels in the early days of the Inner System Colonization Rush, were usually outfitted with outdated technology once used on projects such as the international space station, but they have since been replaced by more efficient, reliable systems that are able to produce oxygen from a number of sources, most of which are stored on-board, but can also be located throughout the Solar System, if necessary (such as water, which produces oxygen through an induced process of elektrolysis).
• Temperature control: Cabin temperatures are consistently monitored by the ECLSS, which keeps a steady level during normal operation, or will engage in appropriate countermeasures should an emergency arise (overheating of the fusion reactor or a weapon system, or fire).

Types of vessels

There are a large number of different kinds of space vessels in service across the Solar System, a number which becomes innumerable if outdated designs from the past are also included in the tally. Such a variety quickly gave rise to a categorization scheme, which was chosen to be fairly similar to the one used to organize seaworthy craft on Terra. A vessel's type is the primary method of categorization, which describes what overall function a ship is intended to fulfill. Many of these types are primarily used for military warships, but several distinctions for the private sector exist as well. There are many types of ships that fulfill the requirements for belonging to several types simultaneously. In these cases, a compromise is often made and it is added to a single, specific type. However, this has made it so types have become fairly difficult to clearly define.

Below is a comprehensive list offering a basic description of each type currently in service.

Liner

A liner is a private or commercial vessel that is intended for personal use, or for functions not related to trade or the transportation of goods. It is the catch-all type for vessels that consumers can purchase for themselves, or that companies provide staff or customers for travel purposes. Despite the lack of definition in the type itself, it is a very broad category, with vessels ranging in size from anything similar to a fighter to frigates or larger. There are dedicated cruise liners that can effortlessly dwarf destroyers, despite not possessing the same offensive and defensive capabilities. Liners are not always defenseless, of course, as it is legal (with varying numbers of restrictions and required licenses) for private vessels to be outfitted with weaponry. This is heavily regulated, however, and there is a significant list of weapon systems that are illegal for non-military organizations to own and deploy.

Freighter

Freighters are vessels of varying size that are intended for trade and the transportation of goods. Some freighters are fairly small ships that can only transport a very limited amount of cargo, while others are massive beasts that haul large numbers of containers across the Solar System. Most of these ships can operate autonomously with a small crew and little backup from other sources, such as space stations. Crew facilities tend to be minute, at best, in an effort maximize the amount of space within the hull that can be used for organizing and transporting goods. When most people imagine dirty, rickety, worn and uncomfortable space vessels, they usually think of many of the freighters currently active. However, there are still a large number of these ships that are state-of-the-art and well-maintained.

Colonizer

Colonizers are a special and highly specialized type of craft that belongs neither with liners, nor with freighters, despite their somewhat hybrid functionality. Science vessels are sometimes added to this type as well, even though they are more often considered liners owned by corporations or government institutions. Colonizers carry personnel, both specialists and workers, to locations in the Solar System that have been marked for colonization. While the presence of these ships has seen a sharp decline after the Outer Solar System Colonization Rush, there are still a few in active service as colonization missions are still underway for certain celestial bodies. Especially the CIC continues such efforts on some of Jupiter's moons. Colonizers tend to be bulky, large and efficiently organized machines. Above all others, they embody the compromise between cargo space and crew comfort, as they need to supply both in sufficient quantities to maximize the yield of a single trip, as well as allow its crew to live on-board for extended periods of time, as colonization works are underway. Colonizers have always been a favored target for pirates, despite the armed escort that usually accompanies them. These ships tend to transport valuable and hi-tech equipment that can make a criminal wealthy after a single, risky raid.

Fighter

Fighters are the smallest type of military space vessels currently found in the Solar System (not counting drones, which are usually not seen as a type on their own). With a crew of, at most, two individuals (pilot and gunner), fighters can serve a number of purposes in a military unit. Standard fighters are, as the name implies, the jack-of-all-trades where these small craft are concerned. They tend to be flexibly armed and capable of engaging both other fighters, and smaller craft such as patrol ships and corvettes. Interceptors are designed to engage and destroy other fighters, generally being armed with light, fast-firing weaponry that compensate for the target's small size and maneuverability. Small missiles are also common. Interceptors are ill-suited for taking on anything larger than a corvette, and will be torn apart by frigates. Bombers, on the other hand, are slower and more heavily armored fighters outfitted with heavy explosives or even heavier thermal weaponry. As the name implies, bombers are used to bombard enemy positions on the surface, or to help take down the larger vessels in an enemy fleet. They are particularly effective against destroyers, cruisers and space stations, but lack the maneuverability to survive during extended dog fights or dodge incoming fire from frigates.

Patrol ship

One of the first types of space vessels to emerge that were tailored towards fulfilling security requirements, patrol ships are small, lightly armed but very fast and maneuverable. With crews of at most ten people, only three or four are actually required to pilot and maintain one, with the rest of the crew generally made up of marines or law enforcement officers, depending on the owner of the vessel. Patrol ships are a very common sight in the Solar System, even during peace times. As the name implies, they tend to patrol the space lanes, regions of space known for criminal activity, and regions around important devices such as comm buoys, listening posts or outposts. Armaments are rarely anything more powerful than gatling guns or small caliber space guns, but military issues are sometimes fitted with missile launchers to make them more effective against fighters. Patrol ships are not particularly potent against any specific type of vessel, nor are they weak against others. Their weapon systems do make them useless in direct combat against anything larger than a frigate.

Corvette

Despite being smaller than frigates, corvettes only entered service after the former, in the late 21st century. Escort vessels in the purest sense of the word, corvettes are almost never deployed on their own, and usually stick close to larger vessels. Primarily defensive vessels, corvettes are armed with a variety of weapon systems intended to take down incoming fire and counter enemy fighters. Not as effective as frigates in the latter, they can still pose a significant threat to enemy ships, especially if they are able to isolate them and use superior mobility to their advantage. There have been types of corvettes that featured a heavier load-out and become more akin to mobile pieces of artillery, but these have been found to have limited, long-term usability.

Transport

Transports are a type of vessel that is similar to freighters in how broad a category it is. These ships generally come in two flavors, one being troop transports and the other vehicle transports. Hybrids exist as well, which usually have visually strange appearances to account for the efficient organization of room for personnel and room for gear and machines such as deployable turrets, prefab bunkers, tanks and mechanized armors. Whatever the sub-type, the eventual goal is always the same. Transports are used when fighting takes to the surface of a planet, moon or surface and space colony. Heavily armored but lightly armed (if at all), these ships fly either autonomously, or dock on-board larger vessels such as cruisers, and descend through atmospheres to drop off troops, supplies, equipment, weapons and vehicles for use in land campaigns. Transports are especially vulnerable to fighters, even bombers, as they generally lack the speed to be able to avoid incoming torpedoes, and they rarely have the armor required to survive direct hits from such high explosives. Fortunately, transports are never without an escort when the help can be spared, as the destruction of a single transport ship does not only mean a significant loss of equipment and money, but also lives. After all, soldiers and personnel are packed together tightly, in order to minimize waste of space during landfall as much as possible.

Frigate

Frigates were, for the better part of the Inner and Outer Solar System Colonization Rush, the mainstay of interplanetary fleets. Larger than corvettes, which were introduced later, frigates were designed to serve as mobile command bases, as well as support craft for fighters and patrol ships out in the field. Frigates tend to have crews ranging anywhere from thirty to fifty individuals, not counting any additional marines stationed on-board for security and ground-based missions. Frigates are also the first type of vessel that sport hangar bays for housing several fighters or even MA talons. The quintessential support craft, frigates are generally armed with space guns, missile launchers and laser guns, though some carry a heavier load-out that is less geared towards destroying enemy fighters and corvettes, and more towards tackling destroyers. Frigates generally retain good maneuverability, while being large enough to be able to have the armor required to survive a number of direct hits from heavier impacts. While their role has shifted over the years from the core of a fleet to escort, exploration and patrol, they are still an essential cog in any navy because of how vital they are to fighter and MA support both in space and on the ground. Frigates are also generally the type of vessel chosen for special operations that require speed, stealth and adequate power.

Destroyer

The first destroyer was designed during the First Independence War, when the need for warships dedicated to taking down enemy vessels of varying sizes arose. Destroyers are powerful vessels capable of deploying just about any type weapon available and in large numbers. Heavy armor, decent speed and usually energy shields, all provide it with a degree of protection smaller vessels rarely hope to match. Destroyers usually take center position in fleets, and have proven lethal against all types of ships, with the occasional exclusion of cruisers, and particularly effective when besieging space stations and entrenched positions. Their flexible mix of kinetic and thermal weapon systems, which contain anything from high caliber space guns to cannons for long-range bombardment, as well as torpedo launchers and laser canons for bigger targets, make them difficult to predict and effortless to deploy in a variety of situations. Destroyers also usually house several squads of marines and have room for a larger number of MAs than frigates. Destroyers are not without their own disadvantages, however. They are exponentially more expensive than frigates, require crews of up to a hundred specialists to operate at peak efficiency and are vulnerable to bombers without the support of escort vessels.

Cruiser

Cruisers are the largest of the warships currently in service. Designed and produced near the end of the Second Independence War, they came too late to play a major part in the conflict, but were nonetheless centerpieces during the last few battles that ended the war. Cruisers are massive warships that make up for their poor speed by packing a significant amount of weapons, armor and supporting craft. Outfitted with the most advanced and powerful arms available, cruisers with large cannons, plasma cannons and extensive torpedo launcher arrays are common, and an awesome sight on the battlefield. Cruisers also have the space to carry and support a significant amount of troops, vehicles, mechanized armors and fighter squadrons. Cruisers generally require crews numbering in the hundreds, with skeleton crews severely, negatively impacting performance. Veritable moving fortresses, cruisers are able to assault any type of opposing vessel, usually dominating any of them if they are properly supported by escort vessels. Cruisers are not without weaknesses, however. Their bulk and slowness make them easy targets, and there are types of weapons available to opposing cruisers that will make short work of any amount of armor installed. Bombers targeting specific, critical systems have also been known to cripple cruisers and make them easy prey for larger ships to finish off. While extremely potent machines of war, military commanders need to be aware of their weaknesses and protect them accordingly, as those same strengths also make them priorities to take down.

Carrier

The carrier has gone through several iterations since the first vessel embarked from its construction yard orbiting Mars. As the name implies, carriers are large ships, usually the size of destroyers or even cruisers, designed to transport a variety of military resources. Always supported by a significant fleet of warships, carriers have optimized space for a large number of fighters, transport ships, vehicles, mechanized armors and mechanized infantry squads, making them indispensable when any conflict spills over onto the surface of a world or colony. With crews that increase in number exponentially with the amount of resources transported on-board, carriers can easily reach a full complement of several hundreds of individuals, with well over five-hundred being a norm. Carriers often have defenses of their own, beyond the fighter squadrons they transport, though these are rarely of the scale and potency of cruisers. They are not to be taken lightly, however, as even destroyers will have hard time surviving an engagement with these large vessels. Like cruisers, carriers are generally weak against bombers and other smaller targets, that will use pin-point accuracy and maneuverability to attack critical systems up-close.

Dreadnought

While none of these vessels have actually been made or entered service, dreadnoughts are truly enormous ships that have been the subject of a large number of research and design projects. None of these projects have yielded a feasible design so far, but the allure of these behemoths remains. Combining the functions of carriers and cruisers, while simultaneously being larger and better protected, dreadnoughts are intended to serve as capital and flag ships of interplanetary fleets. To be stationed near choke points or critical locations such as homeworlds/colonies, they would be an intimidating deterrent to anyone attempting to get passed them. With crews of upward a thousand specialists, not counting the personnel required to control the fighters, MAs and other vehicles on-board, the need for the size of these vessels becomes apparent. Each attempt at designing such a vessel, which is of particular interest to the Triton Empire, has resulted in the same conclusion: dreadnoughts are too large and too expensive to be anything more than a dream at this time. So far, that hasn't stopped the research though, and with every new iteration of fusion reactors and miniaturized technology, it seems as though dreadnoughts may soon become a possibility.

Vessel class

The secondary method of categorizing vessels is by defining its class. While the type of a ship describes its general purpose, size and properties at a very high level, its class is much more specific. A vessel's class is generally the same as its specific design. It describes the choices that were made when developing and constructing the ship, including its layout, the amount of armor, potency of its thrusters, output of its fusion reactor, number of weapon systems and their types, and more. Within the same class, there is sometimes room for minor variations, such as two vessels of the same class possessing minor differences in armaments. But overall, the body of these vessels are identical. Ships of the same class will always belong to the same type, and be designed by the same contractor, though the manufacturer can change with the lay of the economical landscape. Together with its type and designation, a vessel's class accurately identifies any known ship in the Solar System.

Construction and basing

The construction of a space vessel is a complicated task; one that grows exponentially more difficult for the larger types. After a contractor has finished the design and development of a new class of vessel, usually after being approached by the head office, another company or an interplanetary government, this vessel will go into production with a manufacturer. In the early days of expansion into the Solar System, ships would be assembled in hangars on Terra. These bays were owned and run by the manufacturer producing the vessel. However, with evolving technology came the option to construct shipyards in orbit around planets and colonies. These same shipyards would also greatly reduce the complexity of safely lifting off larger types of vessels, such as frigates. The first shipyard to enter service was fully funded and owned by Jagd Steelyards, which had become one of the foremost names in space vessel construction by the end of the Inner Solar System Colonization Rush.

Essentially giant frames with flexible ports for a variety of customized modules, and space for the simultaneous assembly of several vessels (or a single, large ship), shipyards are a significant investment for any company. However, the return is nearly immediate after construction is finished, as there are few corporations that manage to produce the funds required to have their own assembly line. As such, many of these yards offer space and trained specialists for use by other companies, who can then manufacture their commissioned designs in those facilities. Once a vessel has been completed, a skeleton crew guides them to their pre-determined base so they can be taken over by the new owner. By the end of the Outer Solar System Colonization Rush, shipyards had become plentiful, and were varied in purpose, specialization and size. Some were tailored to suit the needs of as many different types of vessels as possible, while others were intended to provide equipment and room for specific projects. The former, while able to cast a wider net, often require a substantial amount of funds set aside to keep them up-to-date with the latest developments, while the latter, can usually afford to follow one technological path and never need to stray from it.

Once in service, most commercial space vessels are based in massive highports owned and run by either local governments or companies that specialize in providing such a service. AstroGate, a charter and travel agency, for example, runs over a dozen space stations tailored specifically to the needs of freighters and personnel transports. By removing the need for expensive promenades and other consumer-oriented facilities, these highports essentially become enormous parking lots for space vessels that are leaving service for one reason or another. Military vessels operate on their own rules, as is often the case, as governments supply the basing needs of their ships themselves, often through corporate contractors who hand over ownership of the constructed highports after completion of the project. The Triton Empire, in particular, owns several military space stations that double as docking facilities for even their larger cruisers, and defense platforms to see to the security of the colony it orbits. Especially destroyers, cruisers and carriers are rarely on active patrol, and tend to be based near a valuable location as a deterrent, until such a time where they are needed on active duty. During peace times, most corvettes and frigates are put on patrol, special operations, scouting missions or security detail, and often see more action than many would expect.

Command, control and communications

Combat between space vessels has evolved tremendously with the times. Originally, most altercations between ships were limited to raids by pirates on freighters and supply ships. After the introduction of manufactured warships such as fighters and frigates, the scale was driven up slightly, to include aggressive counterattacks on those same raids. Frigates would launch and support the fighter craft, who would proceed to engage the criminal elements in quick, brutal and often lethal dogfights. Pirates adapted over time, of course, and began to target ships foolish enough to stray from patrolled space lanes. They became more aggressive, as distress signals would summon UDN or private-owned warships that usually outclassed anything they brought to the table.

It wasn't until the First Independence War when space combat began taking on the form it has today. With a wide variety of vessels employed by the UDN and private corporations, fleets were a much more unique and heterogeneous sight. Weapons and armor had become more advanced, and especially fighters had become deadly and precise countermeasures against larger enemy ships that found themselves without escorts and point-defense systems. The first battles between the UDN and CIC are remarkable because of how chaotic and completely disorganized they really were. Commanders on both sides had been educated in theories of how larger altercations could possibly play out but none really had any experience in applying those theories. Furthermore, many of those ideas were unproven and faith in them wasn't very high. Casualties were high as ships collided, began to fly alongside one another, and attempted to mitigate damage done to their own fighters while opening fire on enemy vessels. That period is often looked back on as the perfect example of how barbaric a battlefield can become if the rules of war are not finely established.

Despite the brutality, it still formed the basis for what was to come leading up to, and during, the Second Independence War. While he is most noted for revolutionizing the role of mechanized armors in armed conflicts, imperator, then-UDN admiral, Corvinus Lars was also one of the main driving forces behind the adoption of new strategies and fleet tactics, designed and adapted from the known standard to the situation in the Solar System at the time. Together with other UDN officers, such as his friend and rival Deccard Raleigh, officers were educated and drilled in these new techniques. By the time the Second Independence War broke out, the conflicts became more controlled and precise, with all the knowledge in place to turn the battlefields in the Sol System into civilized warfare. However, this only increased the casualties on both sides...

Every vessel in a military fleet knows its role and takes up a position within a given formation that reflects that purpose. Corvettes and frigates are often designated an escort role and are expected to protect the larger ships in the fleet from attacks from bombers and torpedo launchers. Destroyers are generally positioned at the very front, where their mid to long range weapons can do the most damage. Central are cruisers and carriers, which generally hang back and use their superior range, firepower and armor to destroy enemy formations, fortifications and cruisers. Fighters serve the dual-role of tackling the larger ships, while also entering into chaotic dogfights with an enemy's craft of the same type. Plenty of variations on these schemes exist, as ship designs often yield any number of advantages and disadvantages that need to be capitalized on or shielded, respectively.

Space battles are usually short and intense. Because of the costs and sheer number of lives involved during these battles, many vessels will retreat when damage reaches a point where it can no longer be tolerated. Especially when a front line crumbles, the entire fleet will disengage and attempt to retreat to a safer location. To prevent overextending and inducing further losses, the enemy will not always pursue; often favoring a dash for the location they were originally going to occupy before being intercepted by a defense force. This isn't always the case, however, as there have been battles where defenders were forced to fight to the last man. These battles tend to devolve after the first attempts at overrunning an enemy's position fail and fleets make direct, close-range contact. From that point on, the fighting becomes immensely chaotic, with commanders usually struggling to maintain an overview of the action. It is when this occurs that casualties reach significant heights and some of the bloodiest battles of the Second Independence War fall within this category. When a fleet has nowhere left to run, they will make a stand, and all bets are off from that point on.

Together with mechanized armors, space vessels have taken center stage in warfare. Many military minds are of the opinion that controlling an orbital region is crucial for victory. From that position, any ground operation can be adequately supported in any number of ways, not the least of which are bombing runs by fighter craft. As a result, dislodging a blockaded world is one of the primary methods of regaining the initiative, which is most easily achieved by cutting the supply lines to fleets positioned so far from their home bases. This was made all too clear by the Triton Empire during the Second Independence War, where they capitalized on the scattered deployment of UDN fleets to cut a solid, easily defensible line through space. However, near the end of the conflict, that supply line had been all but severed, causing the efficiency of Triton vessels on the frontline to dwindle. Warfare across multiple worlds is characterized by more than simply maintaining supply lines, but also what is akin to an extremely complex game of chess. Commanders must predict an opposing fleet's movements on a large scale and in three dimensions, while taking into account their supply and fuel needs, operational range and the natural movement of celestial bodies around the Sun itself. As such, maneuverability is considered just as much key for a successful offensive or defensive, as the cannons mounted on a ship's hull.

Military space vessel command is still evolving, with new methods being developed and implement constantly. Fortunately, another large scale conflict continues to linger beyond the horizon, but it will take all-out war to determine whether or not these methods hold water.

Organization

Ship fleets are organized in a manner similar to seaworthy craft on Terra. Every vessel has a captain of its own, while larger ships also serve as the base of operations for higher-ranking officers that delegate on a larger scale. While terms differ from navy to navy, as do the actual numbers involved, the general composition of a space fleet is outlined in the table below.

Name	Types	Constituent Units	Commander or Leader
Navy	All types in a navy	2+ Fleets	Admiral or Grand Admiral
Fleet	All vessels in an orbital region	2+ Battle Fleets	Vice Admiral or Admiral
Battle Fleet	A large number of vessels of all types	2+ Task Groups	Vice Admiral
Task Group	A number of vessels of complementary types, headed by a capital ship	2+ Flotillas	Rear Admiral
Flotilla	Same type	A small number of vessels	Flotilla Admiral, Commodore or Rear Admiral
Element	A single vessel	One	Captain or Commander

Recent developments

In no small part due to the significant role space vessels play in both private, commercial and military sectors of interplanetary society, they are still an evolving technology. The arrival of the Isamov Drive alone promises a whole slew of new power sources and thrusters that will power and propel the next generation of space vessels. New weapon systems, more refined algorithms for navigation and targeting, better armor, more efficient layout and organization, better life support systems, innovative ways of constructing, basing and maintaining vessels, and more. All of these technologies continue to grow and change, just like the needs of the customers do. With every type of technology that becomes mundane and almost routine, the accessibility of that tech increases as well. This allows for the common consumer to purchase a space vessel of their own with ever-increasing ease, for more affordable prices. Already, the Solar System is a tremendously busy place to travel through, with ships of all sizes and purposes moving along the space lanes regularly. Being the foremost tool that will lead mankind into the stars, it is no small wonder that no research field exists that rivals the amount of time and effort that is poured into these developments.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of space vessels depend heavily on their type and purpose. When the machines rose to prominence, early expectations were that fuel and power supply were going to be the primary expenses when maintaining a fleet of ships, military or otherwise. However, fusion technology advanced at such a rapid pace that the reactors installed on virtually any spaceworthy ship became very efficient at using the resources it was given. Advances in hydrogen collection, as well as the purification process that results in the ideal fuel for deuterium fusion reactors, aided in making every drop count, and the abundance of the resource created both a massive business, and a low price per ton of the valuable resource. What had not been as expected was the sheer maintenance cost involved in keeping a fleet running smoothly. Ships have a massive amount of electronics that are sensitive to outside stimuli, and also prone to wear and tear. Many of these devices are critical to the proper operation of a vessel, meaning they need to be thoroughly checked as often as necessary, resulting in routine stays in spaceport docks. Docking fees alone can run a serious tab, while the addition of any kind of technical checkup can sent man hours and equipment costs through the roof. A significant percentage of any military budget gets pumped into maintaining existing vessels and making sure they will operate up to spec.

While maintenance and supply is the chief concern where most vessels are concerned, there are, of course, other disadvantages. Fusion thrusters are sensitive pieces of hardware that cannot properly be shielded from damage, yet still require as much protection as possible. A popular tactic of raiders is to use highly maneuverable ships to circle around the front arc of larger vessels, where most of their heavier weapons are located. It quickly becomes trivial to cripple a ship by taking down its engines and continuing to steer clear of the firing range of those more powerful countermeasures. Additionally, there are thermal weapons that are capable of producing thin beams that can dig their way through armor, in the hopes of directly damaging heavily protected, critical locations on a ship, such as the bridge, fusion reactor or other sections of engineering. Life support systems, even when well-maintained, also highlight the disadvantage that the crew of a space ship is completely at the mercy of their environment. If life support fails, anyone who doesn't reach appropriate survival gear in time (which can be anything from a breathing mask to an environmentally sealed space suit), will likely not survive the encounter.

Other disadvantages are primarily linked to the type and class of a vessel and are too numerous to detail here. Whenever a ship needs to perform an action outside of its intended parameters, it will find itself at a disadvantage. That is why the importance of proper fleet composition is highlighted so vigorously as military, naval academies.

See also

• Technology for a general overview of the technology in the 23rd century